I don't understand the attraction to 1/12 scale figures

[MeatHookGekko]

I used to love 1/6, but for me it’s dying.

Smaller scales last longer. I’m sick of coming back to my 1/6 collection to find that a true type body has completely deteriorated, or a shoulder or neck joint has exploded or the pleather or clothing or rubber that I haven’t touched or posed in a decade is flaking and falling apart.

Something I observed when Todd McFarlane started making figures ( this was the early to mid 90s) is that he started out making very high detailed toys. The innovations he put forth actually changed the entire toy industry. It's unfortunate that he's generally disliked by so many, because otherwise he'd get more credit ( particularly for mass produced high level paint application, well at least relative for the timeframe). But once the Movie Maniacs line got into it's 2nd wave, I noticed he was just making statues. I mean they were called figures, but they were really just mini statues in a mostly fixed pose.

I felt HT went this way to some degree with 1/6th. The Berserker Predator was basically a statue. He can't move for jack ####. Obviously this was a huge diversion from the early release AVP Predators, which were basically real action figures, albeit very well made for the time. Obviously the early workaround HT had to do contributed to all this ( They had to make "model kits", to get around some licensing issues, so the early sets had to be assembled)

I can't justify the current price point range any longer as well. But that's just for me, I recognize everyone is different. I believe part of the issue is your expectations are relative to how expensive the item becomes. A GI Joe 4 inch from the 50th Anniversary series, I loved that line. But I'm more forgiving because it's a small figure and they weren't meant to as expensive a modern high end 1/6th. But when I forked out for the HT Samurai Predator years and years ago, I went over that thing with a fine tooth comb. For what I paid, I wanted something with no major defects.

But even the same scale and same line, you can see some huge ranges of quality IMHO








Classified 1/12 Spirit is one of the coolest figures I've seen in a really long time.

Then again Falcon in the same line just looks...so odd.

 

[GhostBeard]

I used to love 1/6, but for me it’s dying.

Smaller scales last longer. I’m sick of coming back to my 1/6 collection to find that a true type body has completely deteriorated, or a shoulder or neck joint has exploded or the pleather or clothing or rubber that I haven’t touched or posed in a decade is flaking and falling apart.

Each year, 1/6 becomes increasingly less worth it for me.

This has become my concern. As others have noted the rubber and pleather figures seem to be purchased knowing they will flake/fall apart in time and that, to me, is an argument for statues, which is unfortunate in that I like posing the figures differently to freshen the displays. I'd love to get this new HT Vader from the Kenobi show which I hated but the broken helmet design is good, but it would be me buying something at over $340 that I know will deteriorate within a time span. I just cannot justify that. Even though the comparable statues, quality-wise, as even more expensive, all I need to concern myself with is them falling and breaking.

As much as I appreciate 1/12 scale figures, too many clutter a space.

 

[DParga21]

I have to say, I've not had a single figure have issues with flaking, breakage, e.t.c over time. I don't know if that's just because i put them in one pose and pretty much leave them like that, but so far I've head very good luck with it. Look for instance at this Dark World Thor or T-800 Terminator:

They just stay in that pose, for the most part, and I've seen no issues with joint tears or flaking. Maybe I'm just lucky?

 

[JacktheRipper]

Go move them, then come back.

 

[a-dev]

NECA ED-209?

Hah, the head has actually come off mine. Probably just a matter of regluing it but I hate using glue so I just have it sitting in place.

 

[Dr. Anton Phibes]

Insight from an ancient collector: I buy what I like, don't have OCD, am not a completist, and every character I happen to like just isn't worth the effort of paying a gazillion dollars, and devoting half my house to.. That's the attraction for me. Besides, some stuff gets no love. So if given the choice between a smaller scale or skipping the character altogether because I have restricted myself to be scale specific....smaller scale wins. I don't expect anyone to make a 1/6 or 1/4 scale of The Wasp Woman or Attack of the Giant Leeches anytime soon. Because me and five other people are the only ones gonna buy it.

Been collecting 30 years. So at this point in life, its about what I really want to spend money on also. I will have to sell it all off if I don't eventually get some grandkids who happen to be geeks,lol. My sons left all this nerdism behind them. Here's an example of my pov: I loved the animated Dungeons and Dragons show when I was a teenager. I didn't buy any of the Iron Studios stuff. I didn't buy the giant PCS Venger. Was I tempted? You betcha. Yet I didn't pull the trigger because I didn't like them enough to sink that much cash or real estate into representation for the show. Now: I did buy those Hasbro figures though. Scooped them right up. They were just the right size, and easily obtainable.

A collection that's varied has personality. If you've been doing it awhile you ultimately have to decide if you really want to get a Pumpkinhead that's the size of a VW bug that you have to get a home equity loan to afford, or if you can be happy with a smaller one you can sit on your desk or carry around with you as an emotional support animal. Take a peek at what I mean by "varied". Figures of all sizes, busts, statues, masks, autographs, etc,etc,etc..... Takes all kinds to make a world. Not trying to "flex" here, so don't think that please. There's just no better way to show what I am talking about than with pics.

 

[MarkKing]

Started 10 years ago as a 1/12 scale Legends and NECA

Marvel was from my childhood, NECA was from TEEN years the cool movies.

I collected Legends DC NECA and so on.....but ignored Hot Toys bc of price and having cool poses and variety made me happy.

But then I noticed I began to dislike legends. Same bodies, terrible repaints, poor representations. Hasbro got repetitive, poor paint jobs, lack of accuracy and then I noticed I had so many figures, but NONE caught the eye because they were so small.

NECA became king, but I noticed my NECA figures broke. Some were on shelves for 5 years, I simply picked it up and half his body stayed on the shelf and half in my hand. I snapped and decided to quit amost all NECA outside Turtles and rare figures like ALF.

Movie figures became my go to and I finally got a job that paid, and delved into 1/6 customs heads and started to paint them. It was so enjoyable that I slowly became a collector the past 3 years or.

I have so many custom 1/6 scale figures, that none are standing out. I think what I have to do is start doing rotations of figures, to make sure they don't get lost behind one another. My shelves are deep glass shelves and some figures disappear behind others. I am trying to create room by selling all my legends and NECA/

 

[MachoGeek80]

Insight from an ancient collector: I buy what I like, don't have OCD, am not a completist, and every character I happen to like just isn't worth the effort of paying a gazillion dollars, and devoting half my house to.. That's the attraction for me. Besides, some stuff gets no love. So if given the choice between a smaller scale or skipping the character altogether because I have restricted myself to be scale specific....smaller scale wins. I don't expect anyone to make a 1/6 or 1/4 scale of The Wasp Woman or Attack of the Giant Leeches anytime soon. Because me and five other people are the only ones gonna buy it.

Been collecting 30 years. So at this point in life, its about what I really want to spend money on also. I will have to sell it all off if I don't eventually get some grandkids who happen to be geeks,lol. My sons left all this nerdism behind them. Here's an example of my pov: I loved the animated Dungeons and Dragons show when I was a teenager. I didn't buy any of the Iron Studios stuff. I didn't buy the giant PCS Venger. Was I tempted? You betcha. Yet I didn't pull the trigger because I didn't like them enough to sink that much cash or real estate into representation for the show. Now: I did buy those Hasbro figures though. Scooped them right up. They were just the right size, and easily obtainable.

A collection that's varied has personality. If you've been doing it awhile you ultimately have to decide if you really want to get a Pumpkinhead that's the size of a VW bug that you have to get a home equity loan to afford, or if you can be happy with a smaller one you can sit on your desk or carry around with you as an emotional support animal. Take a peek at what I mean by "varied". Figures of all sizes, busts, statues, masks, autographs, etc,etc,etc..... Takes all kinds to make a world. Not trying to "flex" here, so don't think that please. There's just no better way to show what I am talking about than with pics.


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I'm might not be as ancient as you are, probably not to far off, but the reasons for collection different scales are exactly like mine. I love your display man. It lives and indeed has personality. One glance at a only large scale collection and i see what's there. Displays like yours makes me wanna go on a mini adventure to discover what I'm looking at.

 

[Mike86]

I mostly collect sixth scale but there are a handful of smaller scale figures I buy too. NECA’s TMNT movie figures, some DC Multiverse figures, and a handful of other random ones.

 

[Nagoya]

Been collecting 30 years. So at this point in life, its about what I really want to spend money on also. I will have to sell it all off if I don't eventually get some grandkids who happen to be geeks,lol. My sons left all this nerdism behind them.

Wow, can I be your adoptive grandchild?

 

[JustinMP]

Remember this is just my opinion, first and foremost.
As someone who got back into collecting because of collecting Kenner as a child. I started at the 3.75” Hasbro Vintage Collection. I liked it for a time, then began to feel underwhelmed with the likenesses, the “realness” factor, and I guess as an adult I wanted to distance myself from usual juvenile association of the scale so I graduated to 1/12 scale.
I did the Black Series for a long ass time. NECA’s Ultimates as well. And even dabbled in Mattel (Jurassic Park Legacy figs!) & McFarlane (can’t stand McFarlane figs but loved their Night King & Lord Voldemort!). Eventually once again, it came down to I wanted “realness”; I wanted “cloth/fabric”, I wanted believable likenesses.
I only jumped to 1/6th when.it.became.affordable. so no one should be wagging their finger at anyone collecting smaller scale figs. Sometimes that’s a financial threshold, not just a preference.
Either way, 1/6 offers SO DAMN MUCH. But it’s so expensive, especially within the last few years…and that price tag is not going to get better. So I made a deal with myself to stop collecting 1/6, any of these figs maybe I can start collecting again when I’m older…and less mobile…but my money could go towards so many other things. Anywho.
So where did that leave me? I did pretty much every scale besides going to statues which was never going to satisfy me to begin with.
You’ll laugh.
I went to the outlier 1:9 scale figures
My process has been like this. I sold off most of my 1/6 figs, besides the grail ones. I made the deal with myself that I’ll still pick up one or so in that scale every now and again if it’s a figure I don’t think will get representation in most scales, let alone 1/6th. Then I started perusing what I’d call “premium” 1/12 figs, you basically have Mafex & S.H Figuarts imo. I had issues with both, but both have really definitive version of certain characters. But so much plastic and the print tech hasn’t improved much since we all were wowed by it like half a decade ago now. I still wanted soft goods and I wanted painted likenesses. So ****, I found myself back with NECA but in their Retro scale. Great likenesses, great sculpts, great paint apps 99% of the time, and soft goods. Also, Beast Kingdom might do some great things in the 1:9 scale if they keep at it so I’ve been cherry picking their Dynamic 8ction Heroes. Their ‘89 Joker is outstanding.
So that’s where I’m at. If Mezco was more consistent I was strongly considering them before choosing the 8” scale.
Now the 8” scale, while kind of a minority of scales, is my home. I know I’m a bit long winded but I really do feel like whoever started this thread doesn’t get that with economics what they are, the 1/6 scale will most likely slowly drive out a lot of collector and they will do like I did; look at their options and have their own journey to whatever “Goldilocks Zone” gives them the best bang for their buck.

P.S. Don’t be so judgmental dude. Lol

 

[stoodles77]

Remember this is just my opinion, first and foremost.
As someone who got back into collecting because of collecting Kenner as a child. I started at the 3.75” Hasbro Vintage Collection. I liked it for a time, then began to feel underwhelmed with the likenesses, the “realness” factor, and I guess as an adult I wanted to distance myself from usual juvenile association of the scale so I graduated to 1/12 scale.
I did the Black Series for a long ass time. NECA’s Ultimates as well. And even dabbled in Mattel (Jurassic Park Legacy figs!) & McFarlane (can’t stand McFarlane figs but loved their Night King & Lord Voldemort!). Eventually once again, it came down to I wanted “realness”; I wanted “cloth/fabric”, I wanted believable likenesses.
I only jumped to 1/6th when.it.became.affordable. so no one should be wagging their finger at anyone collecting smaller scale figs. Sometimes that’s a financial threshold, not just a preference.
Either way, 1/6 offers SO DAMN MUCH. But it’s so expensive, especially within the last few years…and that price tag is not going to get better. So I made a deal with myself to stop collecting 1/6, any of these figs maybe I can start collecting again when I’m older…and less mobile…but my money could go towards so many other things. Anywho.
So where did that leave me? I did pretty much every scale besides going to statues which was never going to satisfy me to begin with.
You’ll laugh.
I went to the outlier 1:9 scale figures
My process has been like this. I sold off most of my 1/6 figs, besides the grail ones. I made the deal with myself that I’ll still pick up one or so in that scale every now and again if it’s a figure I don’t think will get representation in most scales, let alone 1/6th. Then I started perusing what I’d call “premium” 1/12 figs, you basically have Mafex & S.H Figuarts imo. I had issues with both, but both have really definitive version of certain characters. But so much plastic and the print tech hasn’t improved much since we all were wowed by it like half a decade ago now. I still wanted soft goods and I wanted painted likenesses. So ****, I found myself back with NECA but in their Retro scale. Great likenesses, great sculpts, great paint apps 99% of the time, and soft goods. Also, Beast Kingdom might do some great things in the 1:9 scale if they keep at it so I’ve been cherry picking their Dynamic 8ction Heroes. Their ‘89 Joker is outstanding.
So that’s where I’m at. If Mezco was more consistent I was strongly considering them before choosing the 8” scale.
Now the 8” scale, while kind of a minority of scales, is my home. I know I’m a bit long winded but I really do feel like whoever started this thread doesn’t get that with economics what they are, the 1/6 scale will most likely slowly drive out a lot of collector and they will do like I did; look at their options and have their own journey to whatever “Goldilocks Zone” gives them the best bang for their buck.

P.S. Don’t be so judgmental dude. Lol

I don't get why 1/12 figs get more accessories than 1/6. The Crow 1/12

 

[stoodles77]

I don't get why 1/12 figs get more accessories than 1/6. The Crow 1/12 had awesome accessories. Would've been awesome in 1/6.

 

[MarkKing]

I don't get why 1/12 figs get more accessories than 1/6. The Crow 1/12 had awesome accessories. Would've been awesome in 1/6.

Cost?

I know clothing is super cheap to make. There is still engineering as some materials just don't work on smaller scales like leather.

1/6 sells less, less are made, and not found in big retail stores, which adds to cost.

I think the reason for less accessories is cost cutting. It costs lots to cast new molds for hands, feet, weapons, and so on compared to clothes. then the heads are probably he hardest part as it's tons of tones in the head and eyes...just more pain details.

 

[Adeno]

Although I appreciate the beauty of 1/6 scale toys, the smaller 1/12 scale toys are just more posable and they come with more alternate heads, hands, and all sorts of accessories. My reason for collecting is that I want to have a highly posable, playable representation of my beloved characters. I don't like things that are barely posable they might as well just be statues.

In the 1/6 scale world, entire groups of heroes and villains are rarely completed. For example, Dragon Ball. Nobody seems to make official 1/6 scale Dragon Ball toys. Even if someone did, there are literally hundreds of Dragon Ball characters and that would quickly become an issue for space at home.

When it comes to articulation, 1/12 scale usually beats 1/6 scale because almost every company has their own articulation system. For example, Figuarts basically revolutionized modern body articulation for that scale while making sure that the aesthetics of a toy isn't ruined. You can make these Figuarts get into any position, even extreme ones. Meanwhile, what I noticed in the 1/6 scale toys is that they seem to be stuck in the DAM style or DiD body type. There seems to be other body types but not as specialized as Figuarts, Mafex, or Storm Collectibles when it comes to articulation. TBLeague is the only 1/6 scale body that is just as good as Figuarts in my opinion, and that's because they have a silicone body with an articulated steel frame in the first place, so the "sculpt" won't really hinder movements.

Another challenge with 1/6 scale toys for me are the clothes. Usually, these clothes are too tight fitting so sometimes, you won't be able to move the toy in the way you want it to. Meanwhile, 1/12 scale toys rarely use real cloth material, so even their "clothes" can be sculpted to accommodate articulation.

I believe that in the end, it really depends on what people want as to why they would choose certain scales over the other. Some don't play with their toys and would just want to see them in a fixed pose so they'll just buy statues. Others want the beauty of statues with some limited articulation, so they buy 1/6 scale toys. Others who want maximum posability with lots of accessories and alternate facial expressions, buy 1/12 scale toys.

Anyway here are a few examples of some of my favorite 1/12 scale toys that have all sorts of accessories. I normally make little video stories for them, that's why I'm a 1/12 scale guy.

 

[MarkKing]

1/6 and articulation is the weakness, but it's about accuracy.

I used to pose my figs and keep them in one pose, but I noticed because of all the figures I had all the 1/12 figures blended in to each other. It was impossible for them to be a display piece at that point.

The biggest advantage of 1/6 scale is the accuracy and the movie/TV properties that 1/12 scale just does not make or if they do, it looks bad.

 

[amarcord]

Insight from an ancient collector: I buy what I like, don't have OCD, am not a completist, and every character I happen to like just isn't worth the effort of paying a gazillion dollars, and devoting half my house to.. That's the attraction for me. Besides, some stuff gets no love. So if given the choice between a smaller scale or skipping the character altogether because I have restricted myself to be scale specific....smaller scale wins. I don't expect anyone to make a 1/6 or 1/4 scale of The Wasp Woman or Attack of the Giant Leeches anytime soon. Because me and five other people are the only ones gonna buy it.

Been collecting 30 years. So at this point in life, its about what I really want to spend money on also. I will have to sell it all off if I don't eventually get some grandkids who happen to be geeks,lol. My sons left all this nerdism behind them. Here's an example of my pov: I loved the animated Dungeons and Dragons show when I was a teenager. I didn't buy any of the Iron Studios stuff. I didn't buy the giant PCS Venger. Was I tempted? You betcha. Yet I didn't pull the trigger because I didn't like them enough to sink that much cash or real estate into representation for the show. Now: I did buy those Hasbro figures though. Scooped them right up. They were just the right size, and easily obtainable.

A collection that's varied has personality. If you've been doing it awhile you ultimately have to decide if you really want to get a Pumpkinhead that's the size of a VW bug that you have to get a home equity loan to afford, or if you can be happy with a smaller one you can sit on your desk or carry around with you as an emotional support animal. Take a peek at what I mean by "varied". Figures of all sizes, busts, statues, masks, autographs, etc,etc,etc..... Takes all kinds to make a world. Not trying to "flex" here, so don't think that please. There's just no better way to show what I am talking about than with pics.


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Very nice collection!!
Especially the Psycho shelve with that famous elusive mini globe diorama ;-)

Do you still have the night of the demon bust?

 

[Dr. Anton Phibes]

Very nice collection!!
Especially the Psycho shelve with that famous elusive mini globe diorama ;-)

Do you still have the night of the demon bust?

The Bowen one from the 90's? It's on the shelf between the Aurora Godzilla and King Kong. I had an Earthbound big head, but had to downsize. Getting older.

 

[amarcord]

The Bowen one from the 90's? It's on the shelf between the Aurora Godzilla and King Kong. I had an Earthbound big head, but had to downsize. Getting older.

Yes, that is the one. Still the best if you ask me.
Without your directions, would not have spotted it.

 

[Dr. Anton Phibes]

Yes, that is the one. Still the best if you ask me.
Without your directions, would not have spotted it.

I dont take very good pictures and my man cave is packed, so its understandable,lol.